New breakthrough: Better prediction of kidney disease thanks to blood tests!

New breakthrough: Better prediction of kidney disease thanks to blood tests!

A research team from University of Cologne has developed an innovative approach to predict the progression of kidney disease. This is done using blood samples and 29 specific proteins have been identified that are linked to the decline in kidney function. The focus of the study is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the most common inherited disease that can ultimately lead to kidney failure.

The current status of diagnosing this disease is inaccurate and often relies on complex procedures such as MRI images or genetic tests. To change that, researchers developed a proteome-based prediction model based on analysis of over 1,000 blood samples from a large cohort of ADPKD patients. The results of this comprehensive investigation were published in the specialist journalNature Communicationspublished.

Scientific collaboration

The research team is led by Professor Dr. Roman-Ulrich Müller, Principal Investigator atCECADand research group leaderCMMC. The research is supported by the Computational Biology of Aging group, led by Dr. Philipp Antczak is standing. Mass spectrometry was used to create the proteome of the blood samples, which enabled detailed analysis of proteins involved in the immune system, lipid transport and metabolism.

Thanks to these new perspectives, scientists can now better understand how blood proteins reflect the rate of decline in kidney function. The aim is to improve routine clinical care for ADPKD patients through more individualized treatment approaches.

Disease mechanisms and biomarkers

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is characterized by uncontrolled formation of kidney cysts, which is due to mutations in certain genes. Loud PMC The prevalence of ADPKD is between 4 and 7 million people worldwide, and affects 7 to 15% of patients requiring chronic hemodialysis. A significant proportion of patients remain asymptomatic, making it difficult to collect reliable prevalence data.

The disease mechanism is significantly influenced by the proteins polycystin-1 and polycystin-2. Deficiencies in these proteins lead to cyst formation, which often leads to end-stage renal failure. Other accompanying factors include cyclic AMP-dependent processes that lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and fluid accumulation. New biomarkers for ADPKD include inflammatory and tubular damage markers that are associated with disease severity and may potentially serve as early indicators of disease progression.

Identification of these biomarkers could significantly improve monitoring of disease progression and enable the development of a specific profile for ADPKD. Future research will focus on the impact of existing treatments on the proteome and aim to develop new proteome-based markers that could revolutionize clinical practice.